How To Shine At A Wedding (Without Making The Bride Cry)

Last weekend I found myself in a familiar situation. I had managed to find one of the only seats in the room (one of my more special skills) and was carefully dissecting the day so far with a good friend while working my way through a selection of canaps and copious amounts of champagne. So where was I? Where most people between the ages of 27 to 35 will find themselves on a weekend or two this summer: I was at a wedding.

Weddings have become somewhat of a specialty of mine of late; at the age of 30 I have attended an eye-watering total of 20 and one thing that I have discovered is that wedding attendance takes a certain amount of skill.

You must be prepared for plenty of small talk, the swift introduction to dinner table seating partners and, as my dear friend and I realized on Saturday, you have also got to be able to nail the art of outfit recycling. Seeing as most wedding pictures make their way onto one social networking site or another, spotting people’s doubling-up of ensembles has become like a game of name and shame.

Luckily help is at hand: just follow a few of my handy steps and you’ll the most stylish guest at any wedding!

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Click through for some tips on accessorizing your wedding look!

1. Bag it up. While we all know how much we, as women, love to cart around the kitchen sink with us, a wedding simply isnt the time to be fumbling at the bottom of your bag. Solution? The clutch. It instantly says evening, it says party, and if you get it right, it screams chic. Those not able to instantly downsize and embrace the clutch should try a slightly larger offering, but those willing to throw themselves in headfirst will love the offerings of the palm sized friendly Poupee Couture.

2. Accessorize all areas. Never underestimate the power of designer jewelry when it comes to immediately changing the look of an outfit. Swap that wedding staple of a pearl necklace for a modern black bib from the likes of Caipora Jewellery. Not only have you immediately transformed your outfit, you will reap the benefits when you look out onto a sea of pearl-clad ladies.

3. Take it on the head. Nothing changes an ensemble quicker or more effectively than a fascinator. Got a perfect cream dress? Swap that plain black headband for a cream and black pillow box hat and volia! Two outfits for the price of one.

4. Know your audience. There is no point swapping your designer jewelry for more fashion forward choices if you have not considered your audience. While Junes bride might adore a your Neon necklace by YUEN London, Julys bride might have preferred something a little more sedate, Mays bride might take you aside to ask you where you got that bold and beautiful leather cuff, Augusts bride might take you aside to ask if you got dressed in the dark. So, before each event, ask yourself what kind of wedding you imagine it to be and plan around that. No one ever said wedding season was easy -- its a marathon, not a sprint, and she who wins does so by careful outfit planning.